PAULO ACOSTA CABEZAS: ArtVita, where art meets life

As one of a handful of pioneering Latin American arts and culture producers and directors in San Francisco who
successfully combines cultural philanthropy with social entrepreneurship, Paulo Acosta Cabezas initiates,
facilitates, and executes collaborative endeavors among interested stakeholders. Their shared passion is about
melding arts and cultural programs/projects with economic development/empowerment.
Among his recent cultural productions, it is Paulo's sophisticated international arts exhibition of 40 Cuban
Female Contemporary Artists that has raised the bar of excellence in independent art projects. See
http://www.cubanart.us/.
Paulo's love for visual arts, international travel, and cultural enrichment started in El Salvador, his birthplace.
As a very young immigrant in San Francisco, he was quickly immersed into The City's diverse cultural
offerings and achievements. Paulo's journey into the heart of the Excelsior District in 1998 to start his first
business resulted in an epiphany about untapped opportunities in the area's cultural wealth. It became more than
"just a cup of coffee" for Paulo when he founded Mam Art Cafe in 2004 and Cara y Cabezas Contemporary in
2008. His "daily living" focused on providing a vibrant visual culture and creative experience for his growing,
appreciative communities. Paulo's galleries, since its grassroots beginnings, have curated over 100 art
exhibitions by local and International artists. Through the years as an accomplished art advisor, Paulo has
invited and represented artists at elite fine art fairs such as the Miami Art Basel, Verge Art Fair 2009, NEXT
Chicago 2010, and ASPEN Art 2012, La Habana Arts Biennial 2015.
Recognized for his contribution to the arts and business, Paulos awards include the 2011 Bay Areas most
outstanding entrepreneurs, Northern California Latin America Chambers of Commerce; 2010 Latino Heritage
Award, City and County of San Francisco; as well as the prestigious San Francisco Only Business award in
2010 from San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau; and the 2009 Small Business of the Year, California's
8th Senate District.
Paulo is a member of the Concordia Argonaut Social Club, board member of the Mission Cultural Center for
Latino Arts and a lifetime board member of OneVet OneVoice. His galleries at the landmark Mam Art Caf
have also served as a community anchor site for the first inaugural District 11 Art Walk, Excelsior Short Film
Festival, Community Parklet (a sidewalk-to-park transformation project in front of Mam Art Caf) , and the 1st
San Francisco Veterans Film Festival. Two of his projects featured at Mam Art Caf, one of the Excelsior
Districts Art Walks and a Cuban women artists contemporary art exhibit, were funded by grants from the San
Francisco Foundation. Paulo's five-year commitment to the San Francisco Foundation-Koshland program is
simple: To revitalize the social infrastructure in the Mission-Excelsior District community. Prior to his career in
contemporary art, Paulo was an Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance Instructor for six years.
Currently, Paulo is creating initiatives with US veteran advocates to empower returning veterans by facilitating
and providing arts programs as a healing process for reintegration into civilian life.
Contact Paulo Acosta Cabezas at AcostaCabezas@gmail.com.